Finding the perfect skin care products isn't always easy.
"I just felt like I was throwing away products every month," said Mary Reardon.
She's not alone. The good news is that the latest products could make your search easier.
"The new list of ingredients is exciting because in addition to having lots of products with new clinical ingredients, with good research behind them, we're also looking at products that are widely available, at all different price points,” said Dr. Ranella Hirsh of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Dr. Hirsch points to peptides for younger, healthy- looking skin.
"Peptides signal the skin to make more collagen. They're small molecules and they're easily able to penetrate the skin to send these messages along."
She says there's strong, company-based, clinical research on this ingredient. Mary uses a peptide lotion daily.
"I feel like my skin just feels a lot tighter and a lot smoother," said Reardon.
Other ingredients are backed by limited, clinical research, but Dr. Farris says they do show promise.
"We need to have those products in the marketplace to really know how effective they're going to be and whether they're going to improve the appearance of your skin,” she said.
Licorice root extract is a potent anti-inflammatory. So is feverfew.
"It also has been shown to be very effective in treating skin that's red, skin that's very sensitive and even has been shown to improve patients that have acne,” said Dr. Farris.
Quercetin is a super anti-oxidant. Or try grape seed extract.
"It's particularly helpful to protect the skin from premature aging as a result of sun damage," said Dr. Hirsch.
Mary is sold on the peptides.
"A number of people have commented on my skin and how much better it looks now,” she said.
Experts agree: A simple skincare regimen is best. They recommend adding in one new product at a time. That way, you'll be able to tell what works best and what irritates your skin.
